The "A Really Good Person" Story

Carol hard at work.

It was an ordinary day.  Carol just came back in from shoveling a few areas on our rear deck so Blackie has a place to walk without getting lost in the eight inches of snow we are in the midst of getting.  Blackie is a stray cat that someone must have dropped off in our neighborhood and who found his way to our house, as do so many of the stray cats.  We have tried a few times to trap him, but he outwits us every time.  He will trip the trap with his paw before trying to get the food inside.  We have caught quite a few cats over the years and have taken most of them to the SPCA.  The SPCA is overwhelmed with so many strays that many have to be euthanized instead of placed in adopted homes.  Blackie is one of those cats I'm afraid.  He is pathetic looking.  Scraggly looking as if he never grooms himself or bothers to wash.  I'm saying "he" and "himself" because Carol and I don't know what sex the cat may be, but she figures a female cat couldn't look like Blackie does.  We have named him Blackie for obvious reasons and he or she has be either fixed or spayed since there is a notch in his left ear which is a marking telling you that the procedure had been done at some time by a vet.  Two years ago Blackie was probably hit by a car, since he had to drag his leg almost all summer before he was able to use it again.  

Blackie has a dirty nose from eating the wet food.  You can see the
notch in his left ear to show he or she has been neutered or spayed

He now can walk with all four legs, but he has a noticeable limp and would have a terrible time maneu- vering around in the snow.  Carol shoveled a path from our back door and up the steps so he could be out of the snow under our huge trees to the rear of our deck.  She also shoveled a path from our back door to "the fort."  "The fort" is an enclosure I built for anyone who may want to live in it during the winter.  I placed it under our Tiki Hut on the deck.  Made it out of 1" thick insulation pieces and made it large enough to be held in place by friction between the two shelves on the Tiki Hut.  Covered the Tiki Hut with plastic as well as "the fort" so they don't allow water into it.  Carol placed a few small towels and a soft blanket inside "the fort" for warmth.  

"The Fort" can be seen on the shelf under our Tiki Hut.  

We found shortly after I put it in place that Blackie had taken refuge in "the fort."  I'm sure he appreciates a warm place to stay for the winter, since he is so scared and afraid that he can't be coaxed into our home.  He has such a pathetic look when he stares at you.  We feel so helpless to be able to do anything for him, but at least he won't freeze or starve to death.  Now if anyone would like to adopt Blackie, write me a comment and we can make it happen.  I'm sure he would go against the old axiom by bringing you good luck.  Well, Carol is sitting by the fire, trying to get warm.  I gave her a big hug and said, "You're really a good person!"  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.